Higher education system in our state has reached a stage far beyond expectations of the intellectuals!
Pradeep Kumar Biswal
I recall one incident few years back. A leading economist of the country was lamenting in a meeting in Bhubaneswar that whereas the Economics Department of Utkal University had once produced many of the serving Deputy Governors of RBI at a point of time why the same could not happen in recent years? Once upon a time the students of Utkal University used to crack All India Services every year. It’s not true anymore.
What happened to our premiere educational institutions? The easy explanations would be lack of infrastructure, depleted human resources and absence of academic atmosphere in the campus. Nonetheless, the college and university campuses have become hotbeds of politics involving political parties, faculty members and students. It ruined the academic environment and caused immense damage to the system.
The apathy of the government towards the higher education sector is quite evident from the low level of budgetary support and undue delay in filling the vacancies. The ad hoc system of engaging guest faculty speaks upon the quality of teaching in these institutions.
The situation in the government aided educational institutions is worse. I had the misfortune of heading such an institution for few years recently and witnessed the horrible scenario there. There’s no dedicated cadre of Principal in these colleges. The system of appointment of Readers from government colleges as Principal of aided colleges has since been discontinued since long on the pressure of the teachers’ association. This has resulted in a chaotic situation.
The seniority of the teachers is challenged by many and it is difficult to get a suitable person to head the institution. Those who are senior don’t have sufficient experience in administration and sometimes they are on the verge of retirement. At least three years tenure is expected for a Principal to deliver something tangible.
Most of the teachers are from the same locality and have continued for decades with help of local politicians. There are different categories of teachers drawing salaries at different rates causing divisions and creating heartburn among them.
There are Grant in Aids, Block Grants, SSB candidates and management appointed staff. Their salaries and service conditions vary from one group to another. Added to this there are guest lecturers. A very clumsy and unhealthy situation prevails in the colleges and there are groups and sub groups working in the system.
In the past the local MLAs were made Presidents of the Governing Body. At a point of time the local government officials were at the helm of affairs of the colleges. They had little time for the college affairs and mostly got guided by the Principal.
Few years back the state government took a decision to appoint an educationist of the locality as President. Mostly retired government officers and former Readers living in the locality were appointed as Presidents. It’s a good idea in the sense that these people had previous experience in administration and were positioned in a better way to supervise and manage the affairs of the college. However, in many places the faculty members were not prepared to tolerate external interference in their domain.
When I took charge of the college I observed rampant corruption, nepotism, maladministration and indiscipline. There was no transparency and efficiency in the system. In order to overcome these problems, I discontinued cash payments and advance payments in the college. All payments were through cheques or online banking. There was a total ban on advance payments. There was complete transparency in financial transactions and there was no scope for corruption.
e-Office was introduced for all files and correspondences. Sitting at home I could clear the files online. There was no chance of destroying or manipulating official records. e-Library, e-Accounts and e-Examination modules were introduced to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the system.
There was initial resistance but it could be overcome with a determined effort. The Governing Body members and some of the staff were positive towards these reforms. For improving academic performance, attendance of the facilities was ensured and extra-curricular activities were encouraged.
New infrastructures were created with government support and assistance from the local industrial houses. A sense of discipline could be achieved. However, it was hard to overcome the factionalism and groupism inside the campus. Sometimes, the students were also used as tools. There was a visible group of disgruntled elements who tried to create disturbances with help of some local politicians and journalists. I was at the receiving end of their ire.
Finding no way to take revenge on me they conspired to send an anonymous petition to the government and got an enquiry ordered against me. The local media got a story of their choice and tried to malign me. At the end everything proved to be false and fabricated. However, it tarnished the image of the college, its faculty members and students besides my own. I could never imagine that the teachers can stoop so low. It was a lesson for me. Thank God my tenure is now over and I am free from the abyss of the system.
This is just one example of how our system is operating. The state government should come out with a solution for these problems plaguing the higher education system in our state. Or else it would be more complicated day by day and prove detrimental to the interests of the future generations.
(The author is a poet & columnist and a former bureaucrat. Views expressed are personal)
Candid observation
Its time to think over how to come out of this impasse n bring back the wheel of progress into rails through education
It requires guts to take the bull by its horn, and you do it instinctively – must appreciate. There are not many who improve things first by preventing deterioration then hold hands for development. Another area is the research and publication. It’s such a scam pulled off by the academic community for furthering their name and fame and career.
The author’s sharp Analysis of higher education is commendable.
The rot started when local politicians took over the management of Govt Aided colleges. These colleges cater to more than 80% of students of Odisha.
Sanctity of recruitment process was switched in favor of nepotism. The only Official recruitment agency for Aided colleges SSB was deliberately put to a coma from 1989 to 2015 facilitating the extra-judicial process of “validation “.
And now we are eye deep in this murky situation.
Your narrative on the Higher Education of the state is true reflection of ground reality. Decisions are taken on adhoc basis putting Nelson’s eye to its sustainability .Education has been put on back-burner while any how entering into a job has been a dream of students. Therefore systemic failure and apathy of society are responsible for present disorders in Educational Institutions.
This is clearly visible from Ravenshaw issue.The so called intelligentsia is debating on contribution of Mr.Ravenshaw to modern Odisha which is the domain of History scholars and History students.It is never in the scope of hoipolloi and petty politicians. Even they don’t know the name of Ravenshaw correctly and what to talk of knowing his contribution. It is Thomas “Eric” Ravenshaw instead of Thomas Edward Ravenshaw. Everybody is busy in getting some brownie points over others.
Surprisingly enough, nobody is debating over present sorry state of teaching in that hallowed institution. Nobody is debating when BHU,JNU,IISc etc which were established more than 50years later now eons ahead of Ravenshaw. Why we belied the dreams of founding fathers of the state when they established Ravenshaw.
Ravenshaw birth and death anniversary are never celebrated in that institution. Nobody inspire students to become like Ravenshaw. I doubt if most of the present student community has any idea of him.Ravenshaw is a brand only and student feel proud of its alumni not of Ravenshaw as a person.Then why such a fuss when there is no demand or debate about it. Who is responsible for not making Ravenshaw or Utkal a central university till date.But we are silent.
It is a ploy of some persons to distract the attention of so called intelligentsia from the contemptible downturn of our education system inspite of our leadership capable of salvage the situation after state’s financial position improved.
Thank you for boldly exposing the reality in your writing. I hope you will make many reality check through your writing basing on your long innings in the Government. Thank you again.